Mala Prayer Beads
Japa Mala prayer beads are a simple and ancient tool that joins two parts of us: our minds, which are often busy, worried, or distracted and our hearts seeking spiritual focus and awareness. Malas have been used for this purpose for countless centuries by many great spiritual traditions.
Indian Japa Malas contain 108 beads and a single "Mother" or "Guru" bead representing The Divine. In meditation, one “fingers” each of the 108 Mala beads and repeats a mantra with each bead. Repetition of a mantra, or Japa, creates an active meditation offering a personal prayer, sending love or spiritual assistance to someone, calling on the Name of God, or disconnecting from the outside world and drawing the gaze inward.
Worn around the neck, the mala is a reminder throughout the day to focus and center one’s thoughts. Held in the hands, a mala can help create a peaceful focus when wrestling with a problem or to help you fall asleep.
Malas can be made of almost anything, but each material has its own properties and effects on the wearer. The more you wear your selected mala the more you will begin to notice its effect on your mind and your spirit.
Soni and I brought each of these Malas from Rishikesh, the home of yoga. Each has been bathed in and blessed by the sacred Ganges river to strengthen their power, to bring you peace and joy, and perhaps to call you to visit the Ganges sometime in your future. Come see them in the studio beside the reception desk.
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